*Help* 4WD light on vehicle stuck on 4hi

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daxg
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*Help* 4WD light on vehicle stuck on 4hi

Postby daxg » Wed Jan 27, 2016 10:20 pm

Hey guys if anone can help me it would be appreciated. I have 2010 pathfinder SE v6 4.0 My problem began after this recent snow storm after 2 days of using 4hi and 4lo to get out of snow I have a steady 4wd light on my dash and the small led screen that shows if the vehicle is on 4lo or 4hi is completely blank . The vehicle also feels like it's stuck on 4hi . Any idea what this could be ? I took it to a shop thy are saying it's the transfer case but figured I would as you guys as well .
Last edited by daxg on Thu Jan 28, 2016 7:52 am, edited 1 time in total.


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smj999smj
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Postby smj999smj » Thu Jan 28, 2016 6:15 am

There is a transfer control unit that can be checked for trouble codes if one has a scan tool that can access the system.

daxg
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4wd

Postby daxg » Thu Jan 28, 2016 7:51 am

I took it to one shop and they couldn't find anything and the second shop said is the transfer case but I figured I ask here before moving forward

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blink32
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Postby blink32 » Thu Jan 28, 2016 7:57 am

http://thenissanpath.com/viewtopic.php?t=9679

In the absence of a scan tool like the Consult II the Factory Service Manual has a list of testing procedures and expected voltages at the respective pins at the TCU and 4wd selector switch. The TCU is in the lower left corner of the drivers dash area. You need to pull back the lower door area trim to access a screw then remove one additional screw on the right side towards the center console of the lower drivers panel, then the panel is snap fit at the top so just pull it out.

Part of the diagnostics will have you rotate the 4wd selector switch with some combination of key turns or brake/accelerator pedal pushes. I don't remember exactly now because for my issue those procedures did not apply. My 4wd selector switch was being blown because of a power back-feed from the TCU. This will net you a series of flashes to troubleshoot with the table in the manual.

If you get nothing from turning the switch it may be toast. You won't know this until you pull the switch though. The power used to light the switch runs on a different circuit than the power used to cycle the actuators.

I had no lcd display (it had power) but no 4wd light at first. Eventually the 4wd light did come on.

daxg
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Joined: Wed Jan 27, 2016 10:08 pm
Location: NYC

4wd light

Postby daxg » Thu Jan 28, 2016 8:37 am

I will try this thank you . And yes my 4wd light is on and the vehicle is defenitelty stuck on 4hi . The lcd that displays 4lo ,4hi receives power but it's blank nothing comes up on the display . I'm hesitant on just getting a transfer case because I read somewhere else that someone had a similar problem the person changed the transfer case and nothing changed . I don't know what else he did ,he never posted anything else . But thanks I'll give it a shot

daxg
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Joined: Wed Jan 27, 2016 10:08 pm
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4wd light

Postby daxg » Thu Jan 28, 2016 8:38 am

If by any chance it's the selector what did you do to fix that ?

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blink32
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Postby blink32 » Thu Jan 28, 2016 8:54 am

Definitely don't just change the transfer case out. At-least not yet. When mine went it was in 2wd but I was able to create a switch and put it into 4wd Hi, it eventually came out on it's own. After you review the Manual you'll see it's a pretty straight forward troubleshooting process if the switch is good.

IF your switch is bad and that's all it is, it's pretty easy to replace. On the order of $50 after shipping, tax and all. Not knowing your Pathy year I assume it's the same as mine. Remove the trim around the cup holders, set the gear selector in D or lower, pull up the console trim and remove the electrical connections. The switch will pop out after you release some tabs.

BUT, use a volt meter on the switch connections. With the car off, lights off there should be 0v on all pins from the vehicle side. Refer to the manual again, but there should be 0v across the pins in various states of key in ACC and ON positions. If you have power on pins when there shouldn't be and you turn the dial to anything other than 2wd you'll burn the flat wires inside the 4wd switch. I did this once wasting a switch and my money thinking all I had was a bad switch.

Ultimately my fix was replacing the 4wd switch and replacing my TCU. The TCU went bad just sitting while I was away working causing a back-feed down to the selector switch.

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blink32
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Postby blink32 » Thu Jan 28, 2016 10:46 am

I just wanted to reiterate, get the FSM section for the ATX and after you look through the index you'll find the section where there is a detailed break down of steps on what to manually check and if it's a go/no go situation then what other FSM sections to refer to and what parts to check. Very thorough with voltages and testing procedures. You don't need any special tools other than a multimeter to check for voltages, ohms and continuity and something to supply a 12v supply to check a few relays.


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